KFOR: Recognition of exemplary Austrian–Hungarian cooperation

Organizing security for President of Hungary Dr. Tamás Sulyok’s visit on 8 December last year required the deployment of a Close Protection Team, which had to work in close cooperation with the experts of the Counter Terrorism Centre. Captain Katsching undertook to set up this team, and to assemble a convoy needed to conduct the visit by providing the necessary motor vehicles.

In case of a national visit, these tasks fall outside KFOR’s scope of tasks, however – on sensing the special character of the situation – Captain Katsching set up the team of military policemen with personal protection qualification, completed the planning and the site survey and organized event security.

According to Colonel Hangya’s briefing, the Austrian captain always reacted responsibly to the ad hoc challenges arising during the daylong close protection task, and excellently cooperated with the protocol team of the presidential delegation.

Providing security for the presidential visit is another example of Austrian–Hungarian military cooperation. The partnership also covers tasks in foreign missions, developments of joint training, mutual exchange of lessons learned and the international engagements of the two countries.

The recognition “Honours for the Partnership” medal is a decoration founded in 2018 that is awarded at the discretion of the Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces to foreign soldiers. The soldiers receiving this recognition contribute their outstanding performance to help the execution of joint tasks.